The Rays are up subsequent in MLBTR’s team-by-team have a look at the upcoming commerce deadline. Tampa Bay has weathered an uneven begin to the season and emerged within the thick of the division race. The Rays are at present six video games over .500, good for third place within the American League East however sole possession of the American League’s second Wild Card spot. They’re 5 video games again of the division-leading Blue Jays.
Whereas most golf equipment have a tendency to select a purchase or promote lane, the Rays are all the time open to a little bit of a mixed-bag method. They’re continuously working to stroll the road between rebuilding and contending and are by no means afraid to commerce from the foremost league roster. President of baseball operations Erik Neander and his employees will probably be trying so as to add to the roster forward of what appears like a really doubtless playoff run, however the Rays will most likely nonetheless get some calls on a few of their expensive veterans with dwindling ranges of membership management.
Document: 49-43 (57.3% playoff odds, per FanGraphs)
Different collection entries: Rockies, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, Astros, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, White Sox, Nationals, Cubs
Purchase Mode
Potential wants: Outfield, catcher, right-handed bat, one other reliever
It is all the time powerful to determine actual wants on a well-rounded membership. That is the Rays in 2025, however the outfield has been a revolving door of less-than-ideal choices. Kameron Misner has seen essentially the most plate appearances of any Ray within the outfield this 12 months, and he is batted .214/.274/.347 in 216 plate appearances there. He pale badly after a sizzling begin and was optioned to Triple-A Durham in late June.
Every of Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel and Chandler Simpson has obtained between 166 and 206 plate appearances within the outfield. Mangum and Morel have hit effectively however accomplished so with the assistance of loads of luck on batted balls. Simpson is getting his re-examination within the majors and utilizing his velocity and elite contact expertise to provide stable offense. He may lead the majors in stolen bases however has 20-grade energy (on the 20-80 scale), a effectively below-average stroll fee and shaky protection in middle. Lowe was terrific in 2023, pedestrian in 2024, and is someplace in between in 2025.
The Rays have sufficient outfield choices that they may mix-and-match for the remainder of the season, taking part in the new hand and rotating outfielders based mostly on matchups they deem favorable. It is a tactic we have seen earlier than from supervisor Kevin Money (at varied locations on the roster), however some extra stability and extra energy, specifically, may be welcome. Rays outfielders have been about league-average offensively on the entire, however they’re benefiting from a .339 common on balls in play and rank twenty seventh within the majors with a .121 remoted energy mark (slugging share minus batting common). Solely the Guardians and Royals have obtained fewer residence runs from their outfield than the Rays’ complete of 21.
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